


Floral Miscommunication

by BarPurple



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: A Monthly Rumbelling, F/M, Fluff, Language of Flowers, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-12
Updated: 2017-04-12
Packaged: 2018-10-18 00:31:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10605552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarPurple/pseuds/BarPurple
Summary: Gold had never seen a woman react so badly to a simple bouquet.





	

Gold had been happy, happier than he’d been in years. Two days ago he’d finally plucked up the courage to ask Belle French out to dinner. Last night they had enjoyed a wonderful meal at the little Italian restaurant here in town. They had laughed and talked before he’d walked her to her door. He’d politely refused her invitation to go up for coffee, and dared to kiss her cheek as he said good night. He’d risen early with a smile on his face and strolled into the florists to pick out a bouquet for her. Somewhere between her receiving those flowers and him walking into the library everything had gone wrong.

Belle had glared at his simple greeting of hello.

“You’ve a lot of nerve walking in here and saying ‘hello’ like that.”

He wasn’t sure what she was talking about, so he started with what he knew; “Did…did you get the flowers I sent?”

He winced as she slammed the books she was holding onto the counter.

“Oh yes, I got them.”

His smile faltered in the face of her ire; “I know it’s a little old fashioned, but I thought….”

“Old fashioned! It’s positively archaic to send me a floral rejection! I thought we’d had a wonderful evening.”

Gold frowned, he was lost; “I thought so too! I had an amazing time with you. What do you mean a floral rejection?”

The cloud of anger lifted from Belle’s face leaving her features brightened by a flush of embarrassment. She bit her bottom lip and gave Gold a bashful smile.

“You don’t know the language of flowers do you?”

He shook his head; “I didn’t even know they could talk.”

It was a weak joke, but it made her laugh, for the first time since he’d walked into the library Gold felt back on solid ground. Belle duck behind the counter and pulled the battered bouquet from the trash bin, she gave an apologetic shrug and pointed to the flowers in turn.

“Yellow carnations mean rejection; yellow chrysanthemums mean slighted love and orange lilies stand for hatred.”

Gold gaped at her, “I had no idea. I chose the yellow ones because you wore that lovely dress on our date and the flo… erm the orange just because they were pretty.”

Belle had caught his verbal slip; her eyes narrowed slightly, “You went to Game of Thorns for these didn’t you?”

He shifted anxiously from foot to foot, “Yes I did. Your father helped me put the bouquet together. Is it safe to assume he is the one who taught you the language of flowers?”

She dropped the spiteful flowers onto the counter and reached for his arm; “I’m sorry that I took them the wrong way, flower language is something I’ve known since I was a child, and I shouldn’t have assumed that you knew about it too.”

Very carefully he covered her hand with his own, “I suppose this is your father’s way of expressing his disapproval about our date?”

His heart stuttered in his chest as she stepped up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

“My father does not get to decide who I date, that’s my choice and I choose you.”

“It that case, may I take you for a stroll along the beach this evening?”

“I’d like that very much.”

They chatted for a few moments about their plans for the evening before Gold took his leave with a small kiss to her cheek. Belle gave a happy sigh and fished her cell from the pocket of her skirt. Her call was answered after three rings.

“Hello Belle darling.”

“You’ve got some nerve saying hello like that after the stun you pulled this morning Papa.”


End file.
